• Craving Sweets
• Fatigue
• UTI’s
• Sinus Infections
• Digestive Issues
• Joint Pain
• White Coating on Tongue
   

Causes of a yeast overgrowth are very common, so it’s important to know what the triggers are so that you can stay on top of it before you start seeing symptoms. Triggers include:

• Taking Antibiotics
• Eating a Diet High in Sugar and Refined Carbs
• High Alcohol Intake
• A Weakened Immune System
• Oral Contraceptives
• Diabetes
• High Stress levels

There are natural ways to clear up your symptoms, and also benefit from reversing a whole host of other issues you may be having, so why not clear up your Candida the healthy and natural way?  Dr. Axe has an excellent article here.

I also like his article specifically on healthy toes.

Recently I made this essential oil recipe for a friend.  Each component has cleansing properties.  Once again, God gave us the best options!

Healthy Toe Solution

• 30 drops tea tree oil (also known as Melaleuca)
• 10 drops oregano oil
• 5 drops clove oil
• A carrier oil like fractionated coconut (which has it’s own cleansing properties!) Jojoba oil, Grapeseed oil, Almond oil, or Argan oil.  This is an excellent place to buy supplies!

Place the carrier oil in a small 1 oz or so glass vessel.  Add the essential oils, and shake to mix.  Apply by massaging into the toenails twice a day…especially before bedtime.

The post Do You Have Yeast Overgrowth? appeared first on Holistic Christian Life.

“On an airplane, as a flight prepares to depart, the flight attendant tells the passengers that, in case of an emergency, oxygen bags will drop from overhead. Those passengers with infants will receive two masks. The adult is to put his or her own oxygen mask on first, and only then put a mask on the infant.

For me, as an Italian grandfather, those instructions are counterintuitive. I want to give my life for my grandchild, to care for her first, and then myself. But—and this is a big but—if I truly love my granddaughter, I will put my own oxygen mask on first, then hers. The sequence is vital to my granddaughter’s survival. If I don’t take care of myself first, both of us might be lost.

The oxygen mask example is a model for becoming a healing presence to others. If I don’t take care of myself first, I have nothing to give to others. People seek me out as a counselor and expect that when they come into my office, I have time and energy for them. They don’t need a tired, grumpy, sleep-deprived, inattentive, and self-absorbed counselor. The only way I can have something to give is if I have allowed Christ to care for me first and foremost. There is no other way.

I begin to care for myself by centering my being, my soul-mind-body. I allow Christ to center me by gradually becoming still inwardly, which is no small task in today’s environment.”
– Albert S. Rossi, PHD, Becoming A Healing Presence

Inevitably, there will be times in our lives when our world as we know it will become unraveled and the rug, upon which sat precariously all our best laid plans, and assumptions about how things “should be,” will be ripped out from under us. The entrance of chaos and upheaval into our previously ordered-ish existence can be faith shattering. It is not at all unusual in seasons of crisis to fall prey to bitterness, disillusionment, anxiety, and disappointment in our own lack of willpower to defeat those passions and spiritual afflictions that ail us.

Speaking from experience, digging oneself out of a rut of despondency where anger, fear, and discontentment also abide, like loud and slovenly roommates all up in your personal space and business, is impossible using mental gymnastics. There is no reasoning your way out of enslavement to negativity and despair. In my own case, I equated freedom from my emotional and spiritual illnesses with “answers” and the changed behavior of others.

If I could make sense of my present trials, and if people would stop disappointing and misunderstanding me, and if God would remove from me the thorn in my flesh revealing to myself and to others my own weaknesses and depravity, then I could once again experience joy. If I could cure myself of my own brokenness, then I would start praying again and turning to God for comfort … but not now, not while I’m neck deep in vices I cannot shake, and battling resentment I can’t overcome; it’s too shameful. I’m too lost, too unworthy. In this dejected, prayer-less state, I am cut off from healing, for myself and from being a source of healing for my neighbor.

The mysterious thing about trials and sufferings is that they can be incredibly effective at knocking down barriers to profound inner growth and transformation. What I’ve learned, and am learning, is that prolonged comfortableness and “success” make me complacent, flimsy, and judgmental. Pre-upheaval, I had lots of answers and little empathy for the destructive choices made by others. My fulfillment was all wrapped up in my outside circumstances; when my home life was orderly, and I was approved of by all, and everyone in my inner circle was acting as I thought they should, and the social climate wasn’t quite so viciously divisive, and God seemed graspable and His mercy somewhat fathomable, I could function pretty smoothly. My joy and faith were contingent on everything being just so.

Suffering has stripped me of those contingencies and brought me to the end of myself where I have been forced to grapple with the hard truth that people and circumstances are neither mine to control nor capable of truly filling the emptiness in my soul, and that contentment based on the achievement of my ideals is but an ever elusive mirage. Struggling and enduring has lead me to an alternative path to healing, one so narrow it has required a painful amount of letting go, as I cannot carry with me down that path any conditions or stipulations, any pretenses or presumptions, only a longing to abide in the eternal, unearthly peace that is Christ.

This narrow path has been a fruitful path, in that mountains are being moved in my soul. When I finally stopped waiting for life to make sense, and to be worthy enough to fall at Christ’s feet, sparks of enlightenment began to light up the darkness with snippets of hope. See, healing isn’t at all about the removal of trials (which I really wanted it to be and pouted about for a good long while). Healing is Christ. Not Christ AND… anything. Well, wait, I take that back; healing is Christ AND a mustard seed sized faith that I am profoundly beloved by Christ right now, “as is,” exactly where I’m at, vices, worries, weaknesses, despairing doubts and all.

Healing is acknowledging the image of God within myself, accepting His great love for me, and being moved by that love to become a better steward of my body, mind and soul. Healing is the realization that through abiding in Christ, I have all the tools I need to procure peace in the midst of any situation just by tending to my hunger for what is eternal, beautiful, and good. One of my favorite words, and states of being, is “rooted.” Not brittle or inflexible but pliable and ever connected to the Source of all life, despite the winds of change that sometimes breeze gently by and other times rage though my here and now like a hurricane.

Healing these days looks, for me anyway, like daily walks in silence where I listen for God or just bask in the nearness of Him; like ceasing to over analyze or trying to figure things out; like filling my head, body and heart with that which will nourish instead of poison me; like practicing gratitude; like both intentional hard work and intentional rest. I find that when I’m diligent about humbly and expectantly taking tender care of myself (honoring the Christ in me), and rising early to greet God each new morning with “Thy Will be done” on my lips, I am braver, and wiser, more patient, and more attentive to the needs of others.

“Acquire the Spirit of Peace,” said St. Seraphim of Sarov, “and a thousand souls around you will be saved.” May my peace become your peace, and your peace my peace. May we be gentle with ourselves, and forgiving of ourselves and one another. Broken as we are, God loves us and leads us through our trials to liberation from earthly cares and passions. It’s up to us to trust the journey, though we might not understand it on this side of reality, and to choose in the midst of it, as Dr. Rossi said, to care for ourselves and allow Christ to center us by becoming inwardly still. We have all the strength and stamina required to do the next right thing in front us, with hope, with gratitude, and with joy independent of our circumstances.

The post The Importance of Self Care appeared first on Holistic Christian Life.

To be reminded of grace is grace
itself, shorter
the shadows fall. Illumination now
is lit, and lighter
is heavy life, yet like lace,
with all its order
designed to be seen through, I see and
avow
the bit that’s brighter
– From “Lent” by Maurice Manning

Why Lent? I mean what is it, besides refraining from certain foods – a laundry list of “nos”? One has to be careful not to treat it like a formula instead of a state of being. To me, Lent is the tidying up of my cluttered and musty soul. It’s being intentional about pausing and turning inward, allowing the tools the Church prescribes for us (prayer, restraint, stillness, almsgiving) to enter into it and open the windows, letting in light and fresh air.

What I long for is an inner life adorned with beauty, calm, and quiet (a haven from stress and anxiety), but I am not strong or disciplined enough to resist the lure and pull of the noise and bedlam “out there.” It gets under my skin and keeps me fearful, dissatisfied, and resentful. All I see are my losses and potential losses, all I hear is despairing and hateful rhetoric. Grumbling becomes my default. I gorge myself on the mindless consumption of voyeurism, excess information, material possessions. It’s all just escapism, and it’s empty as hell.

Lent is a caring mother stepping in to set boundaries for her overtired, over stimulated, over worried, and under nourished child. “No, because you need your rest,” I often tell my own kids. “No, because your body can’t run on junk.” “No, because I know you, and love you so deeply. You are hurting, let me help you find healing and relief.”

Why Lent? Because it shifts my gaze from the earthly waves and storms threatening to drown me and on to Christ Who is above, beyond, within, encompassing all of it. When my context is eternity and resurrection, I am no longer bound by worldly rationales and limitations. I become free – free to show mercy, free to forgive, free to hope, free to embrace the mystery of dying in order to live, and free to pursue peace, regardless of my circumstances.

How grateful I am for this season of repentance, knowing pride, gluttony, and slothfulness only make me miserable. Yes, to rootedness. Yes, to joy. Yes, to love being the only answer necessary or relevant. “To be reminded of grace, is grace itself.”

May Great Lent be a balm for all of us!

The post Why Lent? appeared first on Holistic Christian Life.

One of the things I’ve been told repeatedly by my clients and the Holistic Christian Life community, is that they wish their parents taught them the right way to eat.  They simply don’t know what a healthy lifestyle looks like because it was never modeled for them.  I can relate!  However, we can’t blame our parents.  Nutrition has always been a confusing topic, and even when they thought they had it right…it turns out they didn’t!  Margarine?  TV dinners in aluminum trays?  Sodas and their equally toxic diet counterparts?  So many food and drink products, presented in the guise of being healthy, have turned out to be a poor substitute or even worse than what they were replacing. 

It hasn’t helped that the FDA guidelines and “Food Pyramid” were based on evidence that has now been dis-proved.  The obesity and diabetes rate has skyrocketed since we were told that grain should be the staple of our diet, and fat was made out to be a villain.  The fat scare was based on studies that were funded by the sugar industry.  And surprise…manufacturers added sugar, cheap processed oils, and other harmful ingredients to their products to make up for the lack of healthy fats.  We ended up getting a one, two, three punch.  Sugar, unhealthy fats, and toxic chemicals, all leading to inflammation in our bodies have been a staple in our lives for the last few decades.  Now we know that inflammation is at the root of disease. 

What is a parent to do now?  How do we set our children up for a life of health and wellness? 

Instead of training their taste buds, brains and gut microbiome to crave what will harm them, It is by modeling a healthy lifestyle for them now, and nipping it in the bud.  It’s by not letting our schools dictate what our children are fed, and teaching our kids to read labels for themselves so that they are educated. 

One of my favorite teachers has been Dr. Daniel Amen.  Dr. Amen is a clinical neuroscientist and child and adolescent psychiatrist.  He is a nationally recognized expert on the brain and behavior.  He often talks about how he has taught his daughter from a very early age what is good or bad for the brain.  From the age of two years old, she could tell him which foods were good or bad for the brain.  I employed this same technique with our goddaughters.  From the time that they could read, it was a great game to go into our pantry and read labels.  I could ask them if something was safe to eat, and they would be able to tell me.  Now at 8 years old, they love to talk about healthy food. 

What is healthy food?  I love to cite this experiment as an example:

In 1997, Natural Ovens initiated a five-year project to bring healthy food into schools in their area.  The goal was to show that fresh, nutritious food can make a major difference in student’s behavior, learning and health.  They focused on a school with at risk children, low test scores, discipline issues, and a high drop out rate.  One Monday, the kids came to school, and found that the environment had been changed.  Gone were the typical pop and candy machines.  Something new was a “Make Your Own Smoothie” bar for breakfast.  For lunch, no more pre-packaged, processed food with toxic additives, but wholesome, made from scratch meals made from real, God created, ingredients. And guess what?  The kids loved it!  The turnaround in the children’s behavior, higher test scores, lower dropout rate, and teacher retention was so incredible that it has inspired other schools across the country.  The full story can be found at Feingold.org. (http://www.feingold.org/PF/wisconsin1.html.) 

How can you replicate this at home?  Here is a short primer on the basics:

Good Fats vs Bad Fats:  Fats like Vegetable Oil, Canola Oil, and Soybean Oil are known to cause inflammation in the body.  We now know that inflammation leads to disease.  Therefore, when you are reading a label, first make sure that it doesn’t not contain these harmful fats.  On the other hand, Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Avocado Oil and Grass Fed Butter are anti-inflammatory, and will help feed brain cells and balance hormones.  They will also work to keep you satiated and offset blood sugar issues.   This equates to kids who can focus and learn.

Excitotoxins/Glutamates: “Natural Flavors?”  Not so fast!  Excitotoxins are additives that are related to Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) and have been created in a chemistry lab specifically to enhance flavor, create addiction, and cause cravings.  The problem is, they also create accelerated brain cell death and are linked to disease.  Food companies can call these additives a number of misleading names to make you think that they are innocuous or even healthy.  To see a full list and read a more in-depth article, you can check out Dr. Russel Blaylock’s “The Taste That Kills.”  These additives have also been linked to ADD, Autism and other learning disabilities in both children and adults.  The US is one of the few countries in the world who have allowed most of these in our food supply.  Dr. Katherine Reid offers a list to download and an excellent TEDtalk on her site Unblind My Mind.

Preservatives:  Have you noticed that the use of antibiotics has been on the rise?  Immune systems are declining, and this is leaving us wide open to disease and even just the common cold.  Preservatives kill off not only the bad bacteria in the food it’s added to, but also the bacteria in our bodies.  Our bacteria is part of a balanced microbiome.  If you throw that microbiome off, you weaken your immune system.  This leads to kids with a higher susceptibility to catching whatever is going around.

Artificial Flavors and Colors:  These additives have been directly linked to behavioral issues and learning disabilities.  And yet, when I visit schools, I notice that kids seem to be getting more of these than ever.  Soda’s, sports drinks, cakes, candy, even macaroni and cheese…they are being slipped into even the healthiest looking foods.  If something doesn’t look like a color found in nature, that God created, you can bet it’s manmade and therefore dangerous to your health.

Sugar:  Sugar is the big bad wolf behind many diseases that used to be linked to saturated fat.  High blood pressure, cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, learning disabilities, memory loss, Alzheimer’s, hormonal disruption…are all being linked to sugar as the culprit.  It’s in practically everything that has a label on it.  A can of peas?  You betcha!  You must read labels!

The simple answer to “What is a parent to do?”  is to make it very simple.  Only read the ingredient list and don’t worry about the marketing jargon on the front or the nutrition numbers.  This is a great place to start.  Make sure the product doesn’t have the ingredients listed above.  Ask yourself, can I replicate the recipe at home?  Do you have a bottle of “natural flavors” in your cupboard?  Carrageenan?  EDTA?  Potassium Bromate?  Red Dye No. 40?  If you can’t replicate it, you know that your family’s lives will be compromised if you choose that product. 

The post Giving Our Kids the Gift of Health appeared first on Holistic Christian Life.

Today I am featuring an interview from Rita Madden’s Food, Faith and Fasting podcast. We spoke about Lent, wheat, and how we should look at health and any abstinence of food as a Christian.

I wrote about this topic in depth HERE, which can serve as a transcript of sorts.

The post Gluten and the Christian Faith appeared first on Holistic Christian Life.

Only God knows the number of hairs on your head, and how many years you will be here. But just for fun, let’s do some calculations. How old are you now? In America, the average life expectancy today for a woman is 84, and for a man, 80. That’s taking into account:

• The Standard American Diet (SAD)
• The toxic additives in food, water, and the environment
• The majority of people living a sedentary lifestyle
• The amount of people who still drink soda and diet soda, and are addicted to anything sweet
• The general state of anxiety and unhappiness
• Lack of sleep

In 2013, when I realized that there was something gravely wrong with my health, the first thing I did was decide to get to the bottom of it. Then I acted on what I learned and turned my health around. Yes, you do have more control than you may think! All of those aches and pains? They are not necessarily the result of aging. Most often they are a result of neglect and ignoring the responsibility of taking care of this one vessel that God gave us to use during our life here on earth. At least this is the way it was for me.

What ensued seems like nothing short of a miracle. It was a new lease on life. When I started feeling the effects of living a healthier lifestyle, suddenly the world opened up to me. Pain decreased, energy increased, and now a couple of years into it, my brain is starting to work again, my thoughts are clearer, and my memory is better than it has been in years!

In 2013 I was 52 years old. Many would have said my best years were probably behind me. Most people would have been looking forward to retirement. Instead, I am living the happiest most productive years of my life…so far! Are you ready to get healthy? You might live to 100! How many years does that give you? Wow! Just think of the possibilities!

• How can you use what God has allowed to happen in your life for the good of others?
• What wisdom do you have that can help another person?
• What could you do that would extend God’s love to everyone in your path if you only had the energy and clarity to do it?

I want this for you! That’s why I do what I do.

I guess the key is to want to live. Do you want to live? Do you want to have said to you:

…”Well done good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.”

If you feel like you need more time, keep reading this blog. Participate in the programs. Reach out to me. That’s what we do here at Holistic Christian Life. It’s not about leaning on pseudo-spiritual practices for health or knowing which medication to take for which symptom. It’s about adjusting our lifestyles to reflect the importance we place on our God given life.

It’s because I love you, but most importantly, it’s because He loves you.

The post Valentines Day – From My Heart to Yours appeared first on Holistic Christian Life.

“Control exerted to do something or restrain impulses”

or

“Energetic determination”

If it’s based on training it’s called discipline. When you work with me, I train you, and we build discipline. However, if you do things because you simply can, it is the power of your will. So let’s talk about why you may think you don’t have it…and I want to say right now…you do!

A lack of willpower is rooted in decision fatigue. How many times have you started your day thinking, today I’m going to get things done. I’m going to be disciplined. It’s going to be a good day – a new start. But then by the afternoon, you are reaching for the things you told yourself you wouldn’t eat, and then you end up staying up late when you promised yourself you would go to bed by 10pm?

This is because will power is a renewable energy, and it is strongest when you are rested. Stress and overwhelm lower willpower. If you feel as though you are not able to reach your goals due to a lack of willpower, I would like you to take a look at what taxes it during your day.

Implementing new behaviors
Filtering distractions
Resisting temptation
Suppressing emotion
Re-straining aggression
Suppressing impulses
Taking tests
Trying to impress others
Coping with fear
Doing something you don’t enjoy
Select a long-term over short term rewards

As the authors of the book note, each of these behaviors are similar to taking an ice pick and gouging a hole in our gas line. Before long we have willpower leaking everywhere and none left to do our most important work.

Their suggestion is to not fight it. Manage your days and focus on what is important when you know your willpower will be at its strongest. Take a look at the things that are taxing you during the day. Sometimes even just being mindful can make an impact, and with work and self awareness, you can alleviate the source.

The post Yes, You Have Willpower! appeared first on Holistic Christian Life.

For My Beautiful Lent last year, I interviewed the one and only Rita Madden of Food Faith and Fasting fame. We talked about how to prevent and treat colds and the flu with natural remedies.

While working on your health goals, your immune system will get stronger and stronger…but sometimes those nasty germs will still get you! Get your paper and pen out and get ready to take notes!

The post It’s Cold and Flu Season! appeared first on Holistic Christian Life.

Snacking can be one of the biggest roadblocks to health. Your body needs time to rest and digest. According to a US Department of Agriculture study, 2/3 of Americans snack 2 or more times a day. This means that their bodies are constantly working to keep up rather than allowing their organs to perform other important functions.

Let’s take your small intestine for instance. Your small intestine needs to function without food for an extended period of time in order to cut down on bacteria. If it isn’t able to do this, you are more likely to develop SIBO, or Small Intestinal Bacteria Overgrowth. The results are symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, bloating, acid reflux, and gas. And if you are taking acid blockers, you are even more susceptible to SIBO!

Also, a snack is often eaten “on the go.” This means that you are moving about as you eat and drink. This also includes driving! Eating this way means that you are most likely eating in a sympathetic nervous system state which actually shuts down your digestion. It is also known as being in “fight or flight” mode. When you eat your meals at a table, chewing thoroughly, and without distraction, you engage your para-sympathetic nervous system which allows you to digest your food. By eating in fight or flight mode, you are encouraging intestinal permeability (aka Leaky Gut) which leads to inflammation, food sensitivities, autoimmune disorders and disease.

The confusion comes from two schools of thought.

Blood sugar balance. Making sure your blood sugar is balanced during the day is hugely important for good health! However, eating the correct food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner is the key…not snacking. The correct food is high in protein and healthy fats, and lower in simple carbohydrates. Need a mid-morning snack? Take a look at what you had for breakfast. Was it toast and juice? You just had a blood sugar crash. Eggs scrambled in olive oil with veggies and a side of avocado would have been a better choice to satiate you for an extended time and provide the nourishment you need.

Increasing metabolism for weight loss. Recent endocrine studies have shown that frequent snacking actually lowers fat burning and may even create premature ageing based on higher endotoxin levels. Celebrity health coach, Kelly LeVeque, wrote a great article that goes into more detail for Mind, Body, Green.

If you are looking to lose weight this year, balance your hormones, improve your mood, have more energy, heal your gut, or even reduce stress…start by curbing your snacking habit, and get mindful about the quality of your meals.

The post The End of Snacking appeared first on Holistic Christian Life.

This memory always reminds me of My Big Fat Greek Wedding. 

What?  You don’t eat meat?  That’s ok, I make lamb! (clip provided for your enjoyment  

Now I understand that I probably had thyroid issues even back then, and am glad that God brought Demetrius and lamb into my life.  Anyone with a thyroid or autoimmune issue can benefit from the essential building blocks found in meat which can be difficult to get from other sources.  And, since I didn’t know then what I know now, my vegetarian diet was not as healthy as it could have been.  As with beef, make sure your lamb is grass-fed and organic to get the most health benefits!

Grass-fed lamb contains the most vitamin D of all types of meat.  Vitamin D stimulates your T cells and teaches your immune system not to attack your body’s own cells. It also helps you fight off viral and bacterial infections, which can trigger or make autoimmune conditions worse.  I found this out from Dr. Amy Myers, who is an expert in autoimmunity!  I also learned from her that lamb is also a good source of the following nutrients:

• Iron
• Amino acids such as L-Tyrosine and L-Glutamine.  (L-Glutamine is essential for gut healing)
• Choline
• COQ10 (If you are taking a statin for cholesterol, you should be supplementing with this already)
• Collagen/gelatin
• Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)
• Alpha Linoleic Acid (ALA)

Here’s how I make mine:

One leg of grass-fed lamb (bone in!)

Garlic

Lemon

Sea Salt and Pepper

Oregano

The day before, make small slits with a knife all over the lamb, and poke slices of garlic cloves in the slits.  Squeeze lemon juice all over the lamb.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and oregano.  (Sometimes I have put about 8 garlic cloves, juice of a lemon, 1 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tablespoon of oregano and some olive oil into a food processor and made a paste which I rubbed all over the lamb.  It seems to turn out the same either way)

Refrigerate the lamb uncovered until the next day. 

Take the lamb out about one hour prior to cooking to bring close to room temp.  Pre-heat oven to 350.

Add two cups or so of water to the bottom of the pan, and roast the lamb for 30 minutes per pound.  Peek at it a couple times so that you can tent it with foil if it starts getting too brown, and adjust the liquid in the bottom of the pan if needed.  By the time the buzzer goes off, you should see the meat separating from the bone.  Take it out, let it rest for about 30 minutes, then slice.

So what are you having for Christmas dinner?  This is making me think about when I need to take my lamb out of the freezer!  We’re a week away!

The post Why Lamb is Good for You (Plus My Recipe!) appeared first on Holistic Christian Life.